


Survival Of The Fittest

by Forthediehards



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Cardiophilia, Gen, Green got hit by a stray lightning attack in a pokemon battle, Green's Accident, M/M, Pacemaker AU, Yeah so like I haven't written the actual main part of the AU yet so, quick run down, red was there, restarted his heart with pikachu, stopped his heart, thats it thats the au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-12 21:39:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7950112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forthediehards/pseuds/Forthediehards
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Green leans forward and rests his forehead against Red’s, and Red is suddenly smiling again even though the mention of Green’s accident still leaves a sour, rotten taste in his mouth. The fact that he can even have this moment is one of the many things he has to feel grateful for. The universe didn’t rip Green away from him, it just tested them both in a cruel, almost unforgiving way. And they survived. Green survived.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Survival Of The Fittest

**Author's Note:**

> So as I stated in my tags, this is part of a small AU series I have going on. It's more canon-divergent than anything, but because things happen here that do not happen in the canon timeline, I will label it as an AU. Green gets struck by a stray electric attack in battle and Red witnesses it. Green's heart stops, so Red calls Pikachu out to administer low-level shocks in a desperate attempt to restart Green's heart. It works, but all of the electricity has damaged Green's natural pacemaker in his heart, so he needed an artificial one implanted to keep his heart in rhythm. Everything else is meant to be "canon" basically.

“Don’t touch me.”

The request is sharp, sharp enough that Red actually feels compelled to yank his hand back as though the tips of his fingers have been burned. He shoots a confused glance at Green, who crosses his arms over his chest and looks away.

Red narrows his eyes.

“Green, this isn’t the time for you to be a baby.” Red scowls and reaches forward to pull Green’s folded arms away from his chest. This seems only to irritate Green more, though he remains surprisingly silent. Red can tell he’s uncomfortable, and it’s likely caused by the brand new pacemaker kicking in and taking control of his irregular heart rhythms. Red isn’t sure what that might feel like, but he’s almost certain it can’t be pleasant. “The sooner you come to terms with your situation, the better you’ll feel.”

Green glares, and he glares hard. If looks could kill, Red would be dead and buried six times over by now. The gaze feels hot against his skin, but he still persists despite that fact. He raises a small hand and lightly touches the protruding skin beneath Green’s left collarbone, feeling an outline of the hard metal device keeping his best friend alive. The corner of Green’s left eye twitches, but Red doesn’t move his hand.

“Does it hurt?” He asks with a frown, idly rubbing the afflicted area as he waits for a response. He hears Green inhale sharply, but a reply does not follow right away. Swallowing, Red trails his hand down from the solid metal in Green’s chest, to the dip of his sternum where he presses his palm more forcefully into the skin. Green’s heartbeat is palpable immediately, and Red is surprised to find that his heart rhythm is not as steady as he expected it to be. The beat is weak and slightly uneven, but he can recall what Green’s heart used to feel like after the accident and if he’s being honest, it’s one hell of an improvement.

Green drops his head and kicks his foot into the dirt.

“Yeah, it does.” He admits with a sigh, refusing to meet Red’s concerned gaze. Red watches as Green’s eyes draw away from the cloud of dirt he irritated to the small hand pressed against his sternum. “Not there, though. Just on the…”

He doesn’t finish the sentence, and Red doesn’t need him to. Green just offered more information than Red could have ever hoped for, and though he’s not sure it’s appropriate, he smiles at his friend nonetheless.

“You’ll get used to it. Your heart feels much stronger than it did before. Aren’t you glad?”

Red swallows as Green thins his lips, and for a moment he’s horrified that perhaps he said the wrong thing. The silence that follows is almost deafening, until Green’s hand comes up to rest next to Red’s on his chest.

“Easy for you to say. You don’t have a chunk of machinery in your chest. Your heart beats just fine on its own, like mine used to…”

Red takes a breath to offer a rebuttal, to say something profound about the gift of life and gratefulness, but Green cuts him off with a saddened, nearly sarcastic chuckle.

“You’re right, though. It feels stronger than it did. The doctor says I’ve got about 85% of my heart function back with this thing inside me. I’m not gonna lie, I was expecting it to…you know…cure me? But I guess I shouldn’t be complaining about it, if it’s keeping me alive.”

Red hums thoughtfully, sliding his fingers over and lacing them between Green’s in a comforting, gentle grip. “Considering you were dead, Green, I think 85% is like striking gold. There was a point where I wasn’t sure it would ever beat again, and now look at you.”

“Right.”

Green leans forward and rests his forehead against Red’s, and Red is suddenly smiling again even though the mention of Green’s accident still leaves a sour, rotten taste in his mouth. The fact that he can even have this moment is one of the many things he has to feel grateful for. The universe didn’t rip Green away from him, it just tested them both in a cruel, almost unforgiving way.

And they survived. Green survived.

“Maybe you can’t be grateful for it yet, but I know I am. I couldn’t hear your heartbeat for almost five minutes, Green. Now…” Red tugs his hand free of Green’s with a smirk, bending down and pressing his ear above the weak heart in Green’s chest. He can easily recall the deadly silence that greeted him directly after the accident, and even the terrifying unsteady rhythm before the pacemaker was put in. This, however, as weak as it may be, is like music to Red’s ears. This is the first time he’s heard Green’s heartbeat since the surgery, and an overwhelming feeling of warmth and gratefulness floods through his chest and makes his own heart beat faster.

Green doesn’t ask him to stop this time, and for that, Red is appreciative.

“Now I hear life. A steadier rhythm. Your rhythm.”

Red removes his head from Green’s chest and straightens himself up. He catches the hint of a smile on Green’s lips, before it disappears completely and Green reaches up with a faint blush to rub the back of his neck.  
“Stop being such a sap.” Is all Green says in response, and it makes a radiant smile wear out the muscles in Red’s cheeks. “I mean come on, only a loser talks like that.”

The playfulness in Green’s voice is like a breath of fresh air. Red gives a light push to his friend’s shoulder and continues down the path ahead of them. He turns around and winks at Green, “Smell ya later.”

And for the first time in three weeks, Green tilts his head back and laughs.

**Author's Note:**

> Heyyyy thanks for reading! I really hope you enjoyed :D


End file.
